MythBusters (2003) s14e06 Episode Script

Traffic Ticks

Don't try what
you're about to see at home.
We're what you call
experts.
Okay, go.
[ Inhales deeply ] ohh!
[ Up-Tempo music plays ]
[ Record scratches ]
I hate traffic.
Yeah.
You know, that could be
something we should test.
I don't need to test it.
I hate traffic.
No, no,
i'm saying,
What if we did a whole
"mythbusters" on traffic,
Like, we investigated
how traffic jams form,
Ways of getting around them,
ways of navigating them --
A whole episode
on traffic?
Well, hold on.
I love this song.
Oh, cool.
[ Up-Tempo music resumes ]
Narrator: yep, it's music
to every motorist's ears
let's drive!
Narrator:
the highway holy grail
hey!
the keys to unlock gridlock.
Aah!
The team
is testing traffic tricks
adam:
traffic might suck to sit in,
But it's really fun
to experiment with.
Narrator:
from unexpected jams
To intersection efficiency
[ whistle blows ]
from constantly
changing lanes
sorry! Sorry!
to switching for a plane.
Here's to flying!
Narrator:
the "mythbusters" are guaranteed
To get your freeway flowing.
I got to pee
so bad!
[ Horn honks ]
Who are the mythbusters?
Adam savage
[ deep voice ] it's scientific!
and jamie hyneman.
We're gonna have an adventure.
Between them, more than 30 years
of special-Effects experience.
Together with tory belleci
we're gonna die!
grant imahara
[ gunshots ]
A little hotter than i expected.
and kari byron.
Fire!
They don't just tell
the myths.
They put them to the test.
--Font color="#ffff00" captions by vitac --
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
Buckle up.
The mythbusters are waging war
On the scourge
of modern motoring.
Traffic, the enemy of all
and friend of none.
Where you going,
you half-Wit?!
Narrator: to understand
its cause and chaos,
The science of the jams,
The team is tackling
The four most requested
congestion questions.
Jamie: so,
where do we start?
Well, let me
ask you a question.
How do traffic jams
like this form?
I thought it was like
when a cop pulls somebody over
Or there's an accident.
Well,
there's a theory out there
That a traffic jam
can form
From something as simple
and innocuous
As somebody
stepping on their brakes.
That would cause
the person behind them
To step on their brakes
and so on and so on in a wave,
Like a butterfly effect,
That would cause
a huge traffic jam.
That's interesting.
Sounds like something
for us to investigate.
That's what i thought.
It's an interesting theory
That if a car lightly brakes
for no apparent reason,
It can supposedly
form a major shock-Wave jam
That continues to propagate
Long after the initial cause
has moved on.
But is it fact or freeway fable?
To get to the bottom
of this traffic myth,
We're gonna need
some wide, open space.
With that in mind,
We've come to our favorite place
in the bay area,
The alameda runway.
We'll be using
this wide, open space
To make our own road
for testing.
And away we go.
That road will be circular.
It will be 250 feet in diameter,
And we'll be building that
of these traffic delineators.
Hopefully with all of that,
We'll be able to look into the
[echoing] black soul of traffic.
Narrator: a view into the depths
of traffic hell,
Helped by
a heavenly vantage point.
Well, our track is all laid out.
It is almost time
to bring in our volunteers.
Jamie: so, how's all this
supposed to work?
When i hit the brakes
[ tires screech ]
Presumably,
the cars following jamie
Will also
step on their brakes.
And we hope by watching
this happen in real time
To understand something
about how traffic propagates.
So, fasten your seatbelts
and let the games begin.
Narrator: one circular road
a traffic jam does not make.
All right, jamie.
In my mind,
you're number one.
Aww, gee.
Jamming behind jamie's lead car
Will be a bunch
of numbered volunteer vehicles.
And they'll be tricked out
for traffic tricks
With rooftop brake lights.
Jamie: this is how our
brake monitoring system works.
The driver puts his foot
on the pressure switch
That we've mounted
onto the brake pedal.
These guys will come on,
And that will allow us
to see overhead
Exactly what's happening
to all the cars at once.
Adam: time to get
the ducklings rolling.
Narrator: so, jamie, tailed by
his troop of volunteers,
Hits the target speed
of 20 miles an hour.
Adam: look at that.
10 cars, almost perfect.
That is light traffic
right there, my friends.
Narrator:
and with everyone settled
Into a comfortable rhythm,
it's "go slow" time.
What happens
when an irresponsible driver
Unnecessarily hits the brakes?
Okay, and 3, 2, 1.
I'm hitting
my brakes lightly.
Adam:
there goes.
There goes 3,
there goes 4, there goes 5.
Jamie stepped
on his brakes right there,
And every car that hit that,
up to car number 7,
Had to slow down a little bit.
Narrator: there is clearly
a chain reaction
To account
for the lead car slowing down.
[ Chuckling ]
this is so cool.
Narrator: but crucially,
it has no significant
Or lasting effect
on the flow of traffic.
It's back to normal
in no time at all.
It's fascinating.
Narrator:
however, interestingly,
Adam has seen enough
to be encouraged.
That was really, really cool.
Even in those conditions,
We were able
to watch it progress
All the way back
through almost all 10 cars.
That tells me that there really
might be something to this myth.
Narrator:
it's a little something
Adam likes to call
jamie jammin'.
This traffic --
It sucks.
[ Laughs ]
Next up,
will lane-Picking patience
Really cut your commute?
All right, traffic tricks.
What have we got?
The myth is
It is better to stay in one lane
in heavy traffic
Than to lane-Change.
You'll get to your destination
in the same amount of time.
I don't know,
dude.
When i'm in traffic,
i change lanes all the time.
I think it works.
All right.
So, lane-Weaving,
does it work?
I like it.
Narrator:
the myth states that picking
And sticking with a lone lane
is the way to go,
That dodging and weaving,
chopping and changing
Is a highway hamster wheel --
A whole lot of effort expended
to stay exactly where you were.
Now, to test this myth
of weaving in and out of traffic
Versus staying in one lane,
We are gonna be driving
down to san jose tech museum.
It is exactly 46 miles
from our shop.
Now, kari and grant --
They are gonna be weaving
in and out of the lanes
To see if they can find
the fastest-Moving lane.
Me -- I'm gonna pick one lane
and stay on it
Until i get to my destination,
And we'll see which one
gets there faster.
Narrator:
their chosen course
all right.
Let the race begin!
Narrator: is close
to 50 miles of motoring mayhem.
On clear roads,
it would take less than an hour.
At 7:30 a.M
whoa! Gridlock!
it's going to take
a lot longer.
And this is where
the rubber meets the road.
Is it best to stay put,
as the myth suggests?
Okay.
I'm aggressive.
I'm aggressive.
I'm a lane-Changer.
I'm that guy on the freeway
that i hate.
Or will the silver car's
aggressive weaving
Get them ahead?
Because if you signal,
they speed up.
One thing's for sure --
Tory, in the blue car,
has the easiest job.
Tory: so i'm just gonna go ahead
and get here in the middle lane.
And i'm just gonna stay here.
All right. My job is done.
Narrator: sure.
He can relax,
But how's he going to beat
team weave
When his lane-Changing hands
are tied?
Right now,
they have taken the lead.
[ Sighs ]
This is very frustrating
because here i am
Now stuck behind traffic.
I got to stay in this lane.
I don't like
staying in this lane.
Narrator:
kari's freedom to choose
May have given her
an early advantage.
I'm gonna give the wave.
I'm gonna do it
and give the wave.
Thanks!
But it's come
at an adrenaline-Burning cost.
[ Both groan ]
Plus, not only does kari
have to constantly
Make strategically
stressful decisions
[ horn honks ]
Sorry!
Sorry! Sorry!
I'm a di--
Ah, i'm not a nice person!
Sorry!
they don't always come off.
Oh, look!
Now it's going!
[ Groans ]
bad move.
[ Groans ]
now they're going!
You can't win.
Can't win!
It's like
you can't win.
Yep, in a mere 15 minutes and
17 lane-Changes into the test,
There's been a lot of sweat,
near blood
[ both groan ]
and fears
whoa!
Motorcycle!
for absolutely no gain.
Tory:
are you kidding me right now?
I think i see kari and grant.
They're like two cars ahead
of me.
Narrator:
it's neck and neck.
Tory:
hey, look, i'm passing.
Hi, there!
[ Laughs ]
I'm in the same lane,
and i've just passed kari!
And tory
just passed us.
Shut up!
Yeah.
Narrator: and that's how it goes
until the halfway mark --
Calm and constant
versus stress and duress.
Unh-Unh. Unh-Unh.
Unh-Unh. Unh-Unh.
Get out of my way.
Oh, my god.
This guy hates me.
But with team weave once again
in a narrow, hard-Earned lead
oh, shoo--
Ahhhhhh!
the traffic conditions
alter radically.
Traffic's really cleared up.
I don't think we need
to do any weaving here.
Nah.
For the final 20 miles,
Vehicle density is reduced
to the point
Where both cars
are cruising along
At the speed limit,
Meaning kari and grant maintain
their lead to the finish line.
One hour
and 11 minutes.
But the bad news for kari is
[ groans ]
it was a lot of risky
road maneuvering for no reward.
That was so stressful.
Yeah.
That was so stressful!
It was not worth it!
That was awful!
And the bad news keeps coming.
That's tory!
That is tory!
You are kidding me
right now!
[ Chuckles ]
no way!
Kari: what was that,
like, a minute?!
What?! What?!
Hey, look!
You guys beat me
by a whole minute and a half!
Narrator: yep,
there was a whole lot of stress
For a time difference
of just 2%.
So although the weaver won,
The test was compromised with
less than congested conditions.
And the team
is tending towards confirmed.
Okay.
So far, it's looking really good
for the myth,
Not so much
for my mental health.
We beat tory
by a minute and a half.
Not worth it.
The weaving, the stress,
the strategizing, it was crazy!
Still, this was supposed to be
a really congested freeway
At a really congested time,
And it wasn't congested
the whole way,
Which means
we have to test this further,
Which means i might go gray
by the end of this episode.
Noooo!
[ Siren wails ]
Narrator:
later on "mythbusters,"
Adam and jamie answer
your intersection questions.
I love the roundabout!
Narrator: and the road-Raging
lane-Weavers get wired.
What?!
[Bleep]
Hey!
Narrator: traffic -- You either
hate it or your really hate it.
Its causes and chaotic patterns
Are seemingly
out of our control.
Or are they?
Because jamie and adam
are asking
If a lapse in concentration
and sudden, unexpected braking
Can cause the genesis of a jam.
I'm hitting
my brakes lightly.
And so far, in light-Density
traffic, the answer is no.
But it's not over yet.
They're ramping it up
to rush hour.
Now we want to go for broke.
We're gonna load this circle up
with 22 cars
And see just how long
that wave might propagate
When jamie stamps on the brakes.
That's all 22.
It looks great.
Just remember, folks.
If you are watching this
in your car while driving,
You're part of the problem.
Narrator:
as before
adam:
here we go.
Narrator:
the goal is for jamie
To lead the flow of traffic
at a steady 20 miles an hour
this might take a little bit
to get them up to 20.
Narrator:
and then suddenly
And unnecessarily
hit the brakes.
But there's a problem.
Ooh,
i got up to 9.
[ Laughs ]
Aww,
i'm back down to 5.
Adam: with 22 cars
on our circular track,
They've been driving
for half an hour
And haven't gotten above
15 miles per hour.
It seems that our traffic
density is just too darn high.
You know, this is
kind of bumming me out, man.
I hate
sitting in traffic.
[ Laughs ]
So, we're gonna pull
a couple cars out
And see if that does the trick.
All right, everyone.
We're gonna run this again.
Honk your horn if you're ready.
[ Horns honking ]
That's the sound of
traffic being experimented on.
Remember, folks, our goal
is about 20 miles per hour.
Narrator: and with 20 cars
following jamie
On the road to nowhere,
it's mission accomplished --
Heavy yet free-Flowing
freeway traffic.
Adam: well, pulling two cars out
totally did the trick.
Okay,
now we're reaching 20.
They've been driving now
for 15 minutes,
And they're going
at a steady 20 miles per hour.
It seems that we've accidentally
stumbled on
The exact threshold
of traffic density,
Which is just perfect
for our testing purposes.
Narrator:
here we go.
Will the consistent
current of cars
Congest under
the slightest provocation?
Jamie, we're gonna do the gentle
stepping on the brakes.
I'll count you in.
3, 2, 1, go.
Now.
Adam:
there it comes.
4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Look, it's affecting 12, 13, 14,
moving back through.
16, 18, 19, 20.
Jamie's gonna get stuck
in his own traffic jam.
Uh-Oh.
Perfect!
This is what we wanted to see!
Look at this.
Now it's back.
18, there it is.
Starting over here again.
It's already
on its third revolution.
[ Laughs ]
And jamie got stuck again!
Narrator: yep, when the
traffic density is high enough,
A minor braking incident can
clearly cause major congestion.
With enough vehicles
joining the back of the line,
The jam
continues to propagate
we got a little bit
of a problem here, houston.
and propagate.
Not that adam cares.
Traffic might suck to sit in,
But it's really fun
to experiment with.
Narrator: despite the fact
the vehicle density is optimized
For 20 miles an hour,
Minor incidents
continue the clogging,
Confirming the result
and jamie's opinion of traffic.
That's just wrong.
I'm going like
2 miles an hour there.
Jamie, you're complaining about
being in experimental traffic,
You realize?
Experimental, real world,
who cares?
It's traffic.
It sucks.
[ Laughs ]
As mark twain almost said,
There are two certainties
in life --
Traffic sucks
and this myth is confirmed.
Jamie:
turns out that in heavy traffic,
You don't have to have
an accident to cause a problem.
All somebody has to do is blink
And they can set off
a massive traffic jam.
All right,
jamie.
Stamp on your brakes
right now.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Horns honking ]
[ Laughs ]
Yeah! Yeah! Let it out!
Let it out!
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: up next
let's drive!
Narrator: is the roundabout
really the intersection king?
Narrator: next up,
the ryder cup of the roads.
Have you ever
driven through europe?
I have.
What'd you think
of the roundabouts?
I liked them.
Well, there's a myth
that a roundabout
Is a far more
effective way
To move cars
through an intersection
Than the 4-Way stop signs we
have here in the united states.
The cars
get through quicker?
Apparently.
Let's test it.
Totally.
Europeans
love their roundabouts.
But adam and jamie want to know,
are they a triumph of efficiency
Or, compared to the good 'ol
american 4-Way,
A catastrophic circus
of congestion?
So, we're gonna set 'em both up
and run 'em through their paces
And see which one
comes out on top.
Narrator:
it's as simple as that.
They'll mark out a
4-Way intersection
With traffic barriers
adam:
[ laughs ]
Whoo!
Narrator: and then
compare the efficiency
i believe
i've reached my peak laziness.
Narrator:
of traffic flow
Between the two systems
in question.
For a little added realism,
we've decided
To give each of the four streets
in our intersection a real name.
There's plausible parkway,
jato drive, boom boom boulevard,
And then there's my personal
favorite, c4 avenue.
Well,
we've got our course set up,
And except
for all the barriers and cones,
As you can see,
it's a pretty normal 4-Way stop.
So, how's this gonna work?
Well, our drivers
are gonna be driving up
To one of these four stop signs.
And so, of course, they're going
to be lawfully stopping.
At each of our stop signs,
we're gonna have an operator
Operating
one of these flip cards,
Which will direct our drivers
Either right, left,
or straight ahead.
No u-Turns.
And every time somebody drives
through the intersection,
I'll be counting it
with this handy little clicker.
And after a measured
period of time,
We'll see how many cars
Were able to make it through
our 4-Way stop safely.
Our first test
is gonna run for 15 minutes.
I'm gonna hit the siren
and start counting.
[ Siren wails ]
We are starting the first test.
Narrator:
and now it's a numbers game.
Gonna have to focus on this.
Narrator:
jamie and his trusty clicker
[ chuckles ]
Narrator:
count each car
That makes it through
the intersection.
Jamie:
okay, we're up to 123.
Narrator: and so far,
with little or no waiting time,
It seems like the american way
is as good as it gets.
Jamie: 4-Way stop seems like
it works pretty well, actually,
From where i'm standing.
You know, it's efficient.
I feel like
i've been driving forever.
[ Siren wails ]
Oh, that's it!
Narrator: time's up,
and time for the result.
378 intersection crossings,
15 minutes.
Adam:
that couldn't have gone better.
That felt exactly like
i was in real traffic,
Even down to the little hitches
at the intersection.
I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go.
[ Clicks tongue ]
there we go.
[ Laughs ]
I'm not sure it was my turn,
But i think he gave me deference
because, well, i'm the host.
I think
this is an excellent metric,
But just to make sure,
We're gonna run this test
one more time
And average the results.
Narrator:
yep, and second time around,
It runs just as smoothly.
Oh, i'm making
a right-Hand turn now.
Narrator: but the repetition
is clearly getting to adam.
Adam: you know, jamie used to
be a doorman
At studio 54 in new york?
True.
No, he totally did.
He once kept cher
from getting into studio 54.
He was like, "not you, cher."
Narrator:
delirious rambling aside
[ siren wails ]
the result is in.
Adam:
[ chuckles ]
Narrator:
what we need now is a summary.
Adam?
We had an average of 385 drivers
cross through this intersection
In just 15 minutes.
That's more than one car
every 2ãâ½ seconds.
That's a pretty high level
of throughput
For this intersection.
But before we proceed
all the way
To resetting everything
for a roundabout,
It occurs to me
that there is one more way
That a 4-Way intersection
can work -- Without stop signs.
Narrator:
and with a cop.
Where's my badge?
And a gun. I want a gun.
Where's my gun?
Narrator: yep.
Before they check out
the roundabout
here we go.
Commencing traffic cop test.
Narrator:
adam wants to know
If a former member
of the village people
Can move traffic faster
than self-Governed stop signs.
Jamie: there are a number
of different ways
We make it
through intersections.
There are stop signs,
there are roundabouts,
But then there are also
traffic lights.
This is my favorite test
of this episode so far.
Jamie:
and so we want to know
If the decision-Making
that the traffic cop is doing
Is more efficient and quicker
At getting people
through an intersection
Than the decision-Making
That all those individual
drivers can do by themselves.
Narrator: but the answer
is a resounding no.
What'd i get?
Adam: 289.
About 30% slower.
Yep, the good old
4-Way stop sign
Governed by the people
for the people
Is clearly more efficient.
Question is how will it fare
against le roundabout?
Kari, grant, and tory
are testing the theory
That the lane change
is all pain for no real gain.
Shoo--
Ahhhhhh!
So,
today is the final experiment
For our weaving
versus staying-In-One-Lane myth.
But there's gonna be
a difference,
And that difference is
we're gonna fill each lane
With a car marked 1 through 4
to correspond to their lane.
And tory
will be the weaving driver.
He'll be in a car marked "x."
I'll be in car number 1.
Where's kari byron,
you ask?
Oh, yeah.
This is a much nicer ride.
Narrator: yep,
kari's getting high in the sky
To keep an eye
on the road race below.
All right, buster.
Let's do this.
Narrator: while "x" marks
the silver-Car spot
For road weavers belleci
and buster
get your weaving on, tory.
Narrator: grant and his three
fellow lane-Stayers
Will provide
a comprehensive comparison
To tory's tactic
By logging a time for
all four lanes on the highway
nice move.
That was a good weave there.
Narrator: a time that
will be earned the hard way.
I thought driving in traffic
was bad,
But i mean,
trying to weave like this?
It's very stressful.
Stressful, but so far, fruitful.
A few minutes into the test,
and tory's already leading.
Grant: dude,
i can't even see tory.
He passed me.
He went over two lanes to the
right, passed me, and he's gone.
Narrator: grant can't see tory,
but kari can.
Kari: all right, i can see
car "x" has chosen lane 2
And has scurried
ahead of the pack.
But not by much --
Just a couple car lengths.
Narrator:
a couple of car lengths
That come at
a high-Blood-Pressure cost.
Tory:
let me in.
Let me in [bleep]
Oh, okay. Nice.
[Bleep]
Narrator:
but moments later,
Tory's lost the ground
he so painfully gained.
Car 1, car "x,"
and car 3 are neck and neck.
Grant in the fast lane,
actually,
Looks like he is making headway.
Car x is gonna have to
weave around him.
Narrator: and that's just
what tory does
all right.
I'm going for it.
Narrator: for the next
10 miles, living on the edge.
Oh [bleep]
[ horn blares ]
Almost got killed by a truck.
Narrator: feeling the strain
of the lane-Change pain
holy crap.
I almost got killed.
he slowly but surely ekes out
A significant
5-Minute advantage.
But interestingly,
from his perspective,
Lane weaving is not working.
Tory: this is the thing
about switching lanes.
The moment you think
your lane is going slow,
You get out of it.
But it's right at that moment
That it starts
speeding up again.
It's kind of counterintuitive.
Narrator: that's his
subjective perception,
But the result is down to
one objective number -- Time.
And on the final leg,
It's the toll plaza
taking its toll on tory.
[ Yawns ]
Narrator: gridlock.
And grant's lane
suddenly closes in.
Grant: see, this right here
is toll plaza.
This is what we call
the great equalizer.
He might be ahead by, you know,
i don't know, 15, 20 minutes.
You get to this toll plaza,
Everything grinds
to a complete halt.
Narrator: yep.
With hundreds of cars
jammed in bumper to bumper,
It's a lot of wait.
But tory has picked
the winning toll-Lane ticket
And is through first
and on the home stretch.
Now it's back to the shop,
buster.
You can relax now.
Question is how far behind
are the others?
First to appear is grant.
What's your time?
I beat you
by 3 minutes!
A mere 4% time difference.
And close behind by a minute
is car number 2.
But while waiting
for the third lane sticker,
Time ticks on and the gap
is significantly larger.
And he
was 13 minutes behind me.
And when the final
of the four arrives,
25% slower than tory,
The lane-Staying myth
looks down and out.
So, where do we stand with
the stick-Or-Weave dilemma?
Well, with every single test
we've done,
The weaver will beat
the person staying in one lane
Every single time.
In test 1 in traffic
that wasn't that heavy,
The lane-Sticker lost
by around 2%.
And in the ultimate test,
All the lane-Stickers lost
by anywhere from 4% to 25%.
So, what does that mean?
Well, the myth
that staying in one lane
Will get you to your destination
in the same time as weaving
Is busted.
Weaving will get you there
faster,
But just barely,
and it's not that safe.
Narrator:
next on "mythbusters"
road trip!
Road trip!
our trio of traffic trickers
escape to l.A.
City of dreams!
Please don't try what
you're about to see at home.
We're what you would call
experts.
Okay,
what's next?
This one
is another classic.
The myth is that for journeys
less than 400 miles,
Like san francisco
to los angeles,
That it's actually faster
to drive than it is to fly.
No way.
I can see it.
I mean, you have to
get to the airport
An hour and a half
ahead of your flight,
Then you have to check
your bag, get through security,
And then, on the other end,
go and rent a car.
I mean,
i could definitely see
How driving could be
faster than flying.
Okay.
I see a race coming on.
Narrator:
to fly or to drive?
This modern version
of hare versus tortoise
Proposed by
a prestigious nasa director
Is that for journeys
of less than 400 miles,
Driving is surprisingly faster.
But surely the tortoise
can't compete
With a 500-Mile-An-Hour
flying hare.
To find out,
it's a pre-Dawn showdown.
We're testing the myth
that it's faster to drive
Than to fly on a journey
that's less than 400 miles.
So, we drew straws.
Tory's gonna fly.
Grant and i are gonna drive.
We're starting.
San francisco, 7:00 a.M.,
Driving 380 miles to the natural
history museum in los angeles.
In 3, 2, 1, go.
[ Laughs ]
come on!
[ Engine revs ]
I should probably
give them a head start.
I mean, after all, i am flying.
Narrator:
tory's confident
Because he knows his ride
Will be traveling approximately
430 miles an hour faster,
A fact that has failed
to dampen team car's enthusiasm.
Road trip!
Road trip!
Because road trips are, well,
road trips.
Kari:
this will be fun.
There's the camaraderie
if we need to urinate,
Should we urinate inside
of a container in the car?
and there's the open road
and freedom from waiting around.
Or not.
Totally in the middle
of commute traffic.
Yeah.
Oh,
this is gonna bone us!
Meanwhile,
on his way to the airport
[ whistling ]
Narrator: tory is realizing
it may not be as simple
As his main mode
of transport's top speed.
Tory: now, the things
that are gonna hold me up
Are one, i have to drive
to the airport, park the car.
Parking. I need parking.
Check my bags.
I got to get to the flight
two hours before
So i can get through security.
That's gonna slow me down.
Now i'm starting to get nervous.
And then, on the other side, i
have to go pick up a rent-A-Car,
Get my bags,
then drive to the location.
This is gonna be a close race.
Narrator:
it's the key to this myth --
Having to get to the airport
in time
To go through the time-Consuming
process of boarding
Gives our roadies a chance.
And back on the road,
Our 4-Wheel tortoises
are not stuck anymore.
They've hit the highway.
This is road food,
people.
However, they do have to stick
with the legal speed limit.
No! No! No!
[ Laughs ]
And they are stuck
with each other.
It's gonna be
a long trip.
Do you have any good
road-Trip stories?
[ Smacks lips ]
let me see. Um
not really.
But they have already covered
70 miles, and tory
it's to your left.
Thank you.
Thank you.
having only just checked in
is lining up for security.
Tory:
we have to shut the cameras down
Because they won't allow us
to film in there.
Besides,
i might get strip-Searched!
There's some benefits
to driving.
I mean,
i am carrying things
That are over 3 ounces
and in liquid form.
[ Laughs ]
All right.
So, i just
made it through security,
And actually,
it went pretty smoothly.
Not too many hold-Ups,
But this part
always takes up time --
Putting yourself back together
before you get on the plane.
All right.
Let's go catch a plane.
Narrator:
meanwhile, out on the road,
Grant and kari
are eating up the miles
At a steady 70 miles an hour.
290 miles to go.
I think
i just ran over a skunk.
I thought it was all that
beef jerky you ate.
They may be bored
ã¢â¢âª 99 bottles of beer
on the wall ã¢â¢âª
Ã¢â¢âª 99 bottles
of beer ã¢â¢âª
but they are always moving.
Ã¢â¢âª 97 bottles of beer
on the wall ã¢â¢âª
Ã¢â¢âª 97 bottles
of beer ã¢â¢âª
Unlike tory,
Who after getting through
security in reasonable time
i hope i make it
to my gate in time.
Narrator: has come up against
another air-Travel bottleneck.
All right.
So, i made it to my gate.
Now i have another half-Hour to
wait before we actually board.
Now, this is killing me
because this is eating up time
Where i could actually be
traveling.
Kari and grant --
They are flying on the freeway.
I have to sit here and wait.
Narrator: and that's the key
to the potential plausibility
Of this myth.
Ã¢â¢âª 78 bottles of beer
on the wall ã¢â¢âª
Ã¢â¢âª 78 bottles
of beer ã¢â¢âª
Do the logistics
and the waiting around
Required for air travel
offset the difference in speed?
Ã¢â¢âª take one down,
you pass it around ã¢â¢âª
With team tortoise
130 miles ahead
But only inching their way
down the highway
ã¢â¢âª 77 bottles of beer
on the wall ã¢â¢âª
our about-To-Be-Airborne
hare
thank you.
is settling in for a relaxing
500-Mile-An-Hour sprint.
Hello.
Hello.
You know what, normally, i don't
like sitting in the middle seat,
But today's a different story.
We like having you
in the middle.
[ Laughs ]
Ã¢â¢âª 30 bottles of beer
on the wall ã¢â¢âª
Ã¢â¢âª 30 bottles
of beer ã¢â¢âª
Ã¢â¢âª i'll take one down,
you'll pass it around ã¢â¢âª
I wonder
where kari and grant are.
Oh, look!
I think i see 'em!
[ Laughter ]
Narrator:
adam and jamie
Are asking
an intersection question
adam:
you snaked me!
It was my turn!
You should have waited for me!
Narrator:
that could cut congestion.
Jamie:
well, there you have it --
The good old-Fashioned
4-Way stop.
We ran two tests.
We got almost identical numbers
of cars to go through it.
And it worked. It does the job.
There's no drama.
Now, however, we want to see
if there's and substance
To the myth that the roundabout
is actually a more efficient way
Of getting cars
through an intersection.
This was our previous test.
This is our current test,
the roundabout.
You might know it from europe.
Narrator: with the
circular setup, uh, set up,
The volunteers are wheeled in,
And adam,
wearing a silly hat on a segway,
Takes the time
to read your mind.
I know what you're thinking.
You're thinking,
"wait a minute, mythbusters.
"Your volunteers, your test
subjects are americans,
"And americans
don't regularly experience
"And drive on roundabouts.
Well, you're right, but we've
also already thought of that.
Commencing
practice session now!
[ Siren wails ]
Before we commence
with our experiment,
We're gonna give our
test subjects a good half-Hour
To get used to the roundabout
and circulate on our course.
Oh, i think
they're doing great.
We don't want their lack of
experience to skew our results,
So we're gonna give them
that experience
Right here, right now.
Narrator: with the drivers
up to speed in a spin,
Here's how the actual test
is going to work.
Because of the way
the roundabout is configured,
It's harder for one person
to keep track
Of how many people
are passing through it.
So for this test, we will have
four people counting off
Placed strategically
at each of the exits,
Clicking off one number
Every time a car
leaves the roundabout.
[ Devices click ]
And just like last time,
i'll be up in the lift
Monitoring everything that's
going on and running the timer.
[ Engine revs ]
Yeah, it's time.
[ Siren wails ]
Narrator:
a slightly over-Excited adam
let's drive!
Whoo! Testing traffic!
Narrator:
leads his car-Driving cohorts
Around the roundabout
for the two 15-Minute sessions.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah, baby!
Narrator:
the human-Powered randomizers
Randomly direct the drivers
through the intersection.
Every time i approach,
it's like an adventure.
Yeah! Here we go!
Another right-Hand turn!
Narrator:
and while the counters count
i love the roundabout.
Narrator:
jamie observes from above.
See, at any given time,
there's like three, four,
Sometimes five or six cars
in the intersection.
Whether that adds up
to a final count that's higher,
I don't know yet.
Narrator: it's an observation
that could hold the key
To the final tally.
I think that this test
is moving quite efficiently.
Narrator:
by allowing more than one car
Through the intersection
at a time
adam:
it's like a ballet.
Narrator:
the overlap could result
In a considerably higher count.
Adam certainly seems
to think so.
From a driving perspective,
this is dreamy.
Narrator: to find out
if he's right, the siren sounds.
[ Siren wails ]
And it's time
to crunch the crucial numbers.
[ Imitates tires squealing ]
Yes,
the results are finally in.
At the 4-Way stop, over a period
of time of exactly 15 minutes,
We counted an average number
of 385 cars.
[ Imitates engine revving ]
And the roundabout,
on the other hand,
Allowed a whopping 460 cars
to pass through it.
That's an improvement
of almost 20%.
I'm calling it.
I'm saying a roundabout wins
and that this myth is confirmed.
The roundabout
is a more efficient way
To move cars
through an intersection.
Yeah.
That's a big difference.
Totally.
Confirmed.
Time to adopt it,
america!
Narrator:
coming up on "mythbusters"
there might be a chance
we beat him.
Who will win the freeway fable?
Get out!
Get out! Get out!
I think tory's probably
at the gate by now,
Headphones on,
listening to music.
He's probably drinking
with the pilot.
[ Both laugh ]
We're from the valley.
So, you guys are, like,
original valley girls?
Yes.
Like, totally.
This is a finely tuned
vegetarian machine.
If you put junk food
into this machine
[ burps ]
Is it hot in here?
It is hot.
Turn on mine, too,
while you're at it.
[ Laughter ]
[ Tink! ]
Good thing
we got a convertible.
[ Laughs ]
[ Engine revs ]
Narrator:
tory, grant, and kari
185 miles
to los angeles.
are racing 380 miles
for science.
City of dreams.
And while team car
is only halfway to l.A
[ yawns ]
Cheers!
Narrator: jet-Setter tory's
taken off and sitting pretty.
We're trying to find out
which is faster.
Is it faster to drive to l.A.
Or fly to l.A.?
Tory should be
flying over now.
'Cause a lot of people think
checking your bags,
Going through security,
getting a rent-A-Car,
That it's actually faster
if you drive to l.A.
Than it is to fly.
Narrator: and with tory leaving
his earth-Bound competition
In his contrail
100 miles
to los angeles.
Still?
he's clearly more comfortable
Than his car-Bound
competition
all i know is my back is tired,
i'm tired, i got to pee.
with our road warriors weary,
cramped, and cranky.
[ Laughs ]
sorry.
Tory's short 90-Minute flight
is already complete.
But although he's well in the
lead, doubts are creeping in.
I just landed
in the burbank airport,
And we are now four hours
into this experiment,
And i am just now
getting into l.A.
But i am a long ways away
from the location.
I still need to get my bag.
Now, this is definitely
gonna eat into my time.
I need to get my rent-A-Car,
And then i have
another 40-Minute drive
Till i get to the destination.
Kari and grant might have
a chance of beating me.
All right. Let's go.
Narrator:
and speaking of going
i got to pee
so bad!
Just hang on.
Just a little bit more.
team car requires relief,
refreshments, and refuel.
Ready,
set, go.
All right.
Having to stop
is a major disadvantage.
[ Sighs ]
Oh, god.
Ahh.
Grant:
feel better?
Whew.
But it's worth pointing out
they'll complete the journey
On 80 bucks of gas
and drive-Through.
Mmm.
And tory's flight was more than
twice as expensive,
Not to mention
the cost of car rental.
Right now, i'm waiting
for my shuttle to pick me up
So i can go over
and get my rent-A-Car.
Again, burning time.
Narrator: time in which kari
and grant grind ever closer.
And with tory's time delays
continuing to add up
hello.
Narrator: team tortoise
is back in the race.
That's burbank airport.
I have my rent-A-Car.
Now it's off
to the final destination.
There might be a chance
we beat him.
Now, it's only 17 miles away,
but this is l.A.
I mean, if there's traffic,
This could be the longest leg
of the trip.
Narrator: yep, after five hours,
it's down to the wire
And the lottery
of l.A.'S freeways.
Why are we
going so slow?
There's an accident.
No!
Oh,
we were doing so well!
Oh, shut up! No!
And with both teams caught
in the mess of the metropolis,
The merest minutes matter.
All right.
Back in the game.
Back in the game.
Tory:
all right.
Here's my exit.
The destination
will be on your left.
I don't see any sign
of kari or grant.
All right.
All right.
Turn right in here.
Okay.
We just got to
get to this place.
All right.
That's the steps.
[ Tires screech ]
i don't see him!
I don't see him!
[ Laughs ]
I think
we beat him!
Get out!
Get out! Get out!
[ Laughs ]
Come on!
No way!
That's amazing!
What's our time?
5:23.
Yes!
We beat him!
[ Laughs ]
that is awesome!
I can't believe --
Hey,
what took you guys so long?
Did you guys hit traffic?
Shut up!
[ Laughs ]
When did you get here?
Took me 5 hours
and 15 minutes.
We -- We -- It was like
7 minutes past you!
That's crazy!
Dude, if we hadn't stopped
for you to pee,
We could have made it!
You could have picked
a more fuel-Efficient car
So we didn't have to
stop for gas!
Whatever.
Wow.
Sounds like
a real relaxing trip.
[ Laughs ]
Oh,
what is that smell?
Oh, god.
It's not me.
Narrator: yeah, when it comes to
enjoying the journey,
There's a clear winner.
But as for the race itself
the myth
that if you have a journey
Under 400 miles
Is actually faster to drive
than to fly is plausible.
We left
at the same time this morning
From san francisco
And arrived within 10 minutes
of each other down in l.A.
Now, that's 380 miles.
If anything
had been slightly different,
One of us could have gotten here
faster than the other.
So, walking away plausible.